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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. M. DE BARR. INVALID8 BATHING APPLIANCE.No. 445,327. Patented Jan. 27,1891.

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(No Model.)

\ M. DE BARR.

INVALIDS BATHING APPLIANCE.

No. 445,327. Patented Jan. 27,1891.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON DE BAR-R, OF SAN J OSE, CALIFORNIA.

INVALlDS BATHING APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,327, dated January27, 1891.

Application filed April1,1890. SerialNo. 346,156. (No model.)

To all 2071 0722 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MILTON DE BARR, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inInvalids Bathing Applianccs; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of said invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains tomake, use, and practice the same. a

My invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements inh0t-air-bathing apparatus for invalids; and it consists of the parts anddetails of construction, as will be hereinafter more fully shown in thedrawings, and pointed out and described in the specification.

My invention is designedmore especially for use in sick-rooms orhospitals; and it consists in providing an apparatus which will permitof the body of the invalid to receive the direct application of hottempered dryor moist air to the aiiiicted portion thereof while the headof the bather is continually exposed to the fresh air, so as to preventthe fumes or vitiated air from interfering with the breathing; and,further, in providing means whereby the inward flow of heated air andthe temperature of the bathingapartment may be controlled by the personoccupying the same; and my invention further consists in providing forthe perfect circulation of the retained air and for the outlet thereoffrom within the bathing-eompartment after use, as hereinafter specified.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar letters of reference are used to denote corresponding partsthroughout the entire specification and several views of the drawingsFigure 1 is a view in elevation, partly in section, for the purpose ofillustrating the interior of the bathing-compartment; Fig. 2, a top planview taken on line as as, Fig. 1, showin g portion of the mattress andspring-bottom broken away,so as to show the circulation of the heatedair within the air-chamber; Fig. 3, a vertical sectional end View; Fig.4, an enlarged detail view showing heating lamp, oven, andcontrolling-rod Fig. 5, a detail view, partly broken away, of one side;and Fig. 6, a detail view showing exit-ports and fanframe.

The letter A is used to indicate my improved bathing apparatus, which,by preference, I mount upon the rollers or casters B. The housing Orcasing I construct of any suitable fabric, such as canvas; or, if sodesired, the same may be made of wood or metal. By preference I form thesame with double walls 0 C, so as to allow for the better circulation ofthe heated air, inasmuch as the surrounding space forms an air-chamberfor the retention of the heated air; but it is obvious that, if sodesired, only one wall need be employed.

In order to gain admission or entrance into the bathing-compartmen t, Iprovide the swinging door D in one side thereof. Suitable outlet or exitports a a are formed in the top, for the purpose of carrying off thefoul and vitiated air contained in the chamber (9, and between saidair-ports I secure or attach the air-fans E, which are designed to beoperated through the medium of a chain or cord 1), attached to theweighted lever b secured to the fans for the purpose of causing acirculation of the heated air contained in the chamber. It will beunderstood that these fans are designed to be operated by the patientdirect from within the batllingchainber. By this means the current ofheated air may be controlled and a more perfect circulation of thetempered air produced.

The mattress contained in the chamber is indicated by the letter F, andis located or placed upon the spring-bottomf, which is socured to thespringsf, so as to allow for the easy resting of the patient andat thesame time permit of a more perfect circulation of the air beneath thebed and body.

To better enable the hot air to flow directly upon the flesh of thepatient, I provide a series of air-openings 9 within the mattress, asfully illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The spring-bottom f shouldbe placed at a gradual incline from the head to the foot, so as topermit of the perspiration being carried off. If so desired, theperforated mattress may be constructed of rubber or other nonabsorbentmaterial, thereby preventing injury from moisture.

Between the floors 7b h is the space H, within which I locate thepartitions 9', so as to form air-circulating cells, thereby providingfor the retention of the heated air a longer time and greatly tending tomaintain a more uniform temperature within the bathingchamber. itsoutletinto the exhaust-Ii ue M, which passes vertically through thechamber Z) and out of the roof of the apparatus, thereby to acertainextent forming a drum or superheater for said chamber.

The air-inlet pipe is indicated by the letter m, and connects at itsinner end with the heating-oven N, which is hung or suspended within theair-chamber O, as more f ully illustrated by Fig. 4. Beneath this ovenis suspended, by means of the bracket 0, the lamp or heater I, whichserves to heat the air retained within the oven. In order to permit ofthe heated air to be conveyed directly to the afflicted portion of thepatients body, I provide the hose or pipe R, which has attached theretothe rose or nozzle 1*. The hose or pipe is suspended within the chamberby means of the cords orchains 0, and is adapted to be moved by thepatient himself.

When it is desired that the patient shall receive treatment by means ofmoist instead of dry air, the reservoir S, placed within the oven, isfilled with water or other liquids. Beneath the center of the apparatusI suspend the heater or lamp T, which is adapted to discharge its heatedair directly within the air-passage H, within which the same is con-Veyed in a serpentine passage until finally discharged through themedium of the exitflue. In order to protect the oil in the lamps fromundue heat and to cause a more direct supply to the apparatus, I employthe reflectors u to, which are mounted directly upon the lamp-body, asfully shown. The heaters are controlled by means of the operating-rodsU, so as to increase or decrease the temperature of the air-chamber orto extinguish the flame entirely. The handles of said rods may belocated within or without the heating-chamber. By preference I have thesame located without and provide arm-openings (not shown) within theside of the housing,

through which the patient may project his arm for the purpose ofregulating the supply of heat by means of the adjusting-rods. The heateror lamp T has provided thereabove the register to, which permits of thesupply of heat being cut entirely off from the air chamber or passage H.

To the forward end of the apparatus I secure the head-rest A slightly inadvance of the forward end of the heating-compartment, and in order toprovide against the sleeper or invalid breathing the nauseating fumesthrown ofi from the body during the bathing thereof, I form the forwardend of the apparatus with the flexible drop-curtain B,which is providedwith the head-opening Z), having the flap b, which is designed to buttonclosely around the neck of the sleeper. This curtain is arranged to fallat an incline, as fully shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. It is thusobvious that the sleepers head is always exposed to the fresh air and heis prevented from inhaling the fumes arising from This air-circulatingchamber has the body. However, if so desired, the headopening and flapsb b may be dispensed with and the flexible partition or curtain allowedto fall and be tucked around the neck similar to the ordinary blanket.

It is obvious, although I have not so illustrated in the drawings, thatmy invention may be applied in several different ways without departingfrom the spirit of my inventionas, for instance, the apparatus may beconstructed in one or more compartments by dropping a dividing-partitionbetween the patients.

1 am aware that many minor changes may be made in the constructionherein shown and described without necessitating or causing a departurefrom the nature and scope of my invention. Having thus described myinventiomwhat I claim as new, and desire to secure protection in byLetters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. In a bathing apparatus, the'eombination of a housing or easingprovided with side arm-openings,heaters or lamps, and obliquelyarrangedrods for controlling the heat generated by the lamps, said rods havingone end connecting with the lamp and their free end in position to bereached by the arms of the patient through the arm-openings,substantially as set forth.

2. A portable invalids bathing apparatus having a heating-chamberlocated therein surrounded by double walls, heat-circulating spacebetween the walls thereof, double'bottom having heat-circulating passageinterrupted by cross-partitions communicating with end air-chamber, andoutlet-flue communicating with said air-passage for the outflow ofutilized heat, substantially as and for the purpose set forth anddescribed.

3. The combination, in a portable invalids bathing apparatus, of theheating-chambe'r, exit-fines for the escape of vitiated air or heat,located in the top thereof, air-circulating fans secured therein,inclined bed or couch secured upon springs within the chamber, inclinedcurtain provided with headopening forming a partition between the headrest or support and heating-chamber, air-circulating space or passagesurrounding the heating-chamber, lamps or generators sus pended beneaththe apparatus and adapted to discharge heat within thecirculating-passage, heating-oven located at one end, airinlet pipeconnected therewith, supply pipe or hose running from the oven into theheating-chamber, and the discharge-flue for carrying off the utilizedair, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

MILTON DE BARR. In presence of N. A. AOKER, M. G. LOEFLER.

